Conclusion
DAISY Caber, a social worker from Golden Reception and Action Center for the Elderly and other Special Cases (Graces), said Graces has admitted clients as far as the Cordillera Administrative Region due to lack of facilities.
In Quezon City alone, with a senior-citizen population of almost 152,000, there are only two recognized elderly homes, one of which is Graces.
Fundacion de Oro del Credo, situated in Fairview, Quezon City, is a private institution.
Tucked behind one of largest shopping malls in the country is Graces, a humble haven, which serves as a temporary home for the abandoned, neglected, lost and unattached. Here, they find a home among people who have suffered a similar fate.
More than enduring decrepit facilities inherited by Graces from Golden Acres, the desolation of the elderly continues with the collective experience within the institution.
The elderly, given their wealth of experience and wisdom, never run out of stories to tell and most of them look for someone who would listen to their tales. Especially in Graces, where the clients were abandoned or suffered neglect, companionship remains a premium. However, with the clear shortage of social workers in the facility, it is almost impossible to entertain every possible story stored inside what’s left of the elderly’s untarnished memories.
“They require a lot for attention, and you really need a lot of patience. It is tough because everything for them is urgent and we [social workers] have to let them understand that they’re not the only ones we’re handling,” she said.
There are only five social workers in Graces: The nursing home’s officer in charge, a supervisor and three full-time social workers. Caber herself handles 58 cases. Alonto, the supervisor, had to take over some of the cases to ease off the load from the other social workers.
“I consider this a call of service because of the shortage of social workers who [have] interest in this [sector],” Alonto said.
Adding to the dilemma are the various demands of the elderly that require attention. Caber said that working with the elderly sector is a challenge, given the demanding nature of the people within the sector. Coming from different backgrounds, the elderly are accustomed to their own lifestyles and some even experience a culture shock upon admission to the care facility.
“There are some clients, especially the walk-ins, who think that the life inside an institution is easy. Some people even inquire about admitting their relatives to the institution and we tell them that it’s not always the solution,” Caber said.
More important, with the rising number of abandonment cases in the country, the number of senior citizens admitted in Graces steadily increases. As numbers go beyond the target number of clients for the year, as anticipated during the budget planning for the fiscal year, the first to run out are supplies and basic commodities.
Graces, being originally a diagnostic, assessment and temporary shelter only, survives with a limited budget from the government, which is more often than not, insufficient to provide for the needs of the elderly admitted in the facility.
Food, one of the basic needs provided by the facility, remains a problem specifically for the elderly who have poor appetite and would sometimes request for items that are not available at the center.
“We are unable to give them everything,” Caber said apologetically. “What we have in the center, we give it to them because it is for them. We try to explain to them that we’re not being selfish; it’s just that the institution has limitations,” she said.
The facility, although subsisting on a small budget, continues to thrive through the help of donors, who take pity on the elderly and what they have to endure.
“We’re thankful that at least, we never run out of donors. We have a lot of visitors who are [moved] by the situation of the elderly. They provide us with assistance and it’s already a big thing since without them, we wouldn’t survive,” she said.
No one wants to be forgotten, especially not in the twilight of our life. In their most vulnerable years, this is the time when the elderly need utmost care and attention—and no situation, especially not the lack of attention and action devoted to resolve the issues of the sector, must hinder them from receiving such. Faye Carreos and Lea Salvosa / Special to the BusinessMirror